Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

228. Cap6 blanco
A small to medium-sized tree characterized by :
( 1 ) the crown usually having a grayish color ; (2)
opposite long-stalked elliptlc leaves with rough
surfaces, green and nlmost hnirless on upper surface,
the lower surface ale yellow ,green and
covered with minute sca ? es nnd hnirs and with
prominent veins; (3) twigs 4-angled, finely hairy,
green but becoming bromn; (4) numerous small
white flowers about l/s inch long and broad, with
tubular 4-lobed corollas, borne in long-stalked
lateral branched clusters arid forminground juicy
fruits about 5/16 inch in dinmeter, turning from
green to red to black; and (5) p y bark slightly
sllreddy and sepamtinq into strips.
A tree 20-70 feet hlgli and 1 foot or more in
trunk diameter, with s rending open crown, ever-
TT~ rou h fissured bark hns
~,","nn?:l~lg inner bark The young twigs,
petioles, and flower stalks are minutely hairy.
Petioles are 1-235 inches long nnd blades 3-0
inches long and 11/24 incl~es brond, short-pointed
at apex and rounded or short-pomted at base,
slightly thickened, and n~ithout teeth on edges.
Flower clusters (panicles) are 26 inches lon
includin the long stalks, and bear many minute t:
f' y
hairy, s ightly fragrant flowers. Calyx is bellshaped,
4-toothed; the white tubular corolla mlth
4 spreading lobes; stamens 4, minute, borne near
mouth of corolla tube; md pistil with 2-celled
ovnry, slender style, and 2-lobed stigma. The
fruits (drupes) are 1-seeded. Flowering and
fruiting through the year.
The light bromn snpwood is not clearly separated
from the very attractive light brown to
medium brown heartwood, which frequent1 is
vnriegated or marked by darker stripes. %he
wood is very hard, heavy (specific gravity 0.66),
tough, strong, he-textured, with straight, wavy,
VERBENA FAMII .Y (VERBENACEAE)
Petitia domingensk Jacq.
or *interlocked grain, and without gro~rth rings.
It is susceptible or moderately resistant to attack
by dry-wood termites and moderately durable in
contact with the ground. The rate of air-seasoning
is rnpid, and the amount of de ade moderate.
Blncllining chnracteristics are as f ollows : planing
is fnir; shaping, sanding, and resistance to screw
splitting nre good; and turning, boring, and mor-
t~sing are excellent.
Uses include furniture, light and heavy con-
struction, posts and iling, crossties, and rollers
for coffee-hulling mil I' s. The wood is suitable also
for cnbinetmnking, turned articles, novelty items,
interior paneling, farm implements, handles, nnd
bridges.
011 hillsides, thickets nnd woods, in the coastal,
limestone, and lower mountain regions of Puerto
Rico. Also ,reported long ago from St. Crois and
St. Thomas.
This species is charncteristic of openings in see-
ond-growth forests and probabl is light-requir-
ing. It is being tested in sma I' l plantations in
Puerto Rico. The flowers attract bees.
PUI~LIC FORESTS.-Cambalnche, Carite, Guajatam,
Luquillo, Rlaricao, Rio Abajo, SusCa, Toro
Negro.
I\~UNICIP.~LITIES WI-E ESPECIALLY COM3fON.-
32,34,38,46,47,49,69.
RANOE-Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica,
Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. Also planted
in southern Florida.
OTIIER CODIMON N~IMES.--C~P~ amarillo, capit
rosado, cap6 de sabana (Puerto Rico) ; capit de
snbnnn, cup6 sabanero, cap6 blnnco (Dominican
liepublic) ; roble payo, gunyo prieto (Cuba) ;
petitin, bastard stopper (Bahamas) ; fiddlewood
(Jamaica) ; bois d'ortie, ch6ne calebnssier (Haiti).